In the UK the Stop the War Coalition has organised massive demonstrations against the wars in the Middle East, in conjunction with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Muslim Association of Britain. We campaign to end the Occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan and to Stop the War on the Iraqi and Afghan people.Stop The War also supports the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign for Peace and Justice for the Palestinian people,and an end to the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.

Tuesday, 27 March 2012

10 Reasons: why we should say no to an attack on Iran

1 NO THREAT

Iran has not attacked any country in more than 200 years. Its military

spending per capita is among the lowest in the region. The regime

has allowed inspections and agreed to negotiate with the West on

all issues. Current Western rhetoric recalls the Iraq war, when a

threat was fabricated to justify an attack.

2 DOUBLE STANDARDS

Many of the West's allies, including Israel, have nuclear weapons.

There is no evidence that Iran is developing them, as last year's

IAEA report made clear. Iran, unlike Israel and Pakistan, is a

signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, under which

it has the right to develop civilian nuclear power.

3 SANCTIONS LEAD TO WAR

As the recent military standoff has shown, sanctions are increasing

tension and distrust. They will strengthen the hawks in Iran. In Iraq,

sanctions resulted in a genocidal level of civilian casualties and

brought nothing but death and suffering to the Iraqi people.

Sanctions were not a stepping stone to peace, but to war.

4 CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES

Any attack on Iran will lead to thousands of casualties and provoke

retaliation with devastating effects across the region. Sanctions

and war will drive up the cost of oil, creating further havoc to a

world economy already in crisis.

5 LESSONS FROM THE PAST

If the attacks on Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya teach anything, it is that

military intervention brings death, division and misery. 30,000 died in

Libya, tens of thousands in Afghanistan, and a million in Iraq.

Violence continues in all three countries.

6 WAR = CUTS IN WELFARE

Barack Obama recently committed to military expenditure above the

levels of George W. Bush's administration. Britain spent hundreds of

millions bombing Libya and is spending £6 billion a year on the war

in Afghanistan. An attack on Iran could have far greater financial

implications, leading the government to threaten yet more cuts in

welfare and public services.

7 DEMOCRACY

Recent wars have been deeply unpopular at home and have

created a democratic deficit. Plans have been laid in Washington

and Whitehall for an attack on Iran, with neither elected politicians

in parliament nor the electorate, being consulted.

8 SECURITY

The War on Terror has made the world a more volatile and

dangerous place. An attack on Iran can only increase bitterness

against the Western powers.

9 CIVIL LIBERTIES

The campaign against Iran will lead to further demonisation of

Britain’s Muslim community and more curbs on our freedom,

dressed up as 'anti terror measures'.

10 WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The main restraining factor on the war makers is mobilised public

opinion. Even George W. Bush opposed Israel attacking Iran while

in office, because he felt Americans were against it. The voice of the

The Chesterfield Group organise coaches to join the National Demonstrations...

Come on the demonstrations and see just how many other people are opposed to this unjust war. The demo's organised by the Stop the War Coalition are ALWAYS extremely well organised and a great opportunity to meet others (and there are THOUSANDS of us!) from all walks of life united against war. The demonstrations receive very little coverage in the media and need to be experienced to fully appreciate the strength of feeling in this country AGAINST the Wars in Iraq /Afghanistan.

PETITIONS:

Sign the 'GET THE TROOPS OUT' petition and encourage your family, friends to sign it too. Take a petition to your workplace, school, organisation /church and collect signatures.

Sign 'e-petitions' on the Downing Street website at Number10.gov.uk or follow the link on the National Stop The War website (see further info. below)